The Wool Testing Authority in Napier tests bales of wool for fibre length, colour, micron, moisture and vegetable matter so that buyers know exactly what they're buying. The testing lets them predict how that particular bale of wool will perform once it's scoured and ready for the next stage of processing. The WTA also tests other textiles such as hi viz material to see it meets NZ codes of compliance.

The Mary River in the Northern Territory is one of the most croc-populated waterways in the world. It's also the boundary for Annaburroo Station, and that causes big problems for Adrian Phillips who estimates he loses more than a 100 head of cattle each year in crocodile attacks. From ABC reporter Lisa Herbert.

Hawkes Bay apple growers are flat out harvesting Royal Gala, which account for about 40 percent of regions apple crop. Plums are being picked and apple and pear harvesting is due to start soon in Central Otago.

Our guest today is the co-founder of the New Zealand vanilla company Heilala Vanilla, John Ross. He's in Tonga at present where they have around 40 vanilla farmers producing for them on the island of 'Eua which was right on the path of Cyclone Gita this week. They have other farms on Vava'u which escaped damage. John's on Vava'u and he hasn't been to Eua yet, but says he can guess what it looks like because he's seen cyclone

Jason and Trisha Delamore purchased Lavender Hill, a three hectare property 30 minutes north west of Auckland city, two years ago. It is a commercial enterprise with lavender plants, a lavender still, 400 olive trees, 200 lemon trees, alpacas and a B and B. They also host hundreds of overseas tourists during the lavender growing season. They've developed a Limoncello and lavender-infused gin. This is a couple who don't appear to sleep.

Last year we had a musing penned by Neville Martin. He was the Dairy Board's spokesman for many years, and he was talking about growing kohlrabi in the days well well before it was fashionable. After going to the effort of growing it, his father deemed it unfit for eating. Today he's grazing over various farming terms that he picked up as a young child during many farm visits.

Phil Tregidga's family pioneered hydroponic growing in New Zealand. Almost four decades later he's still using the hydroponic system to grow all manner of herbs and vegetables with his wife Jenny and new boss, their daughter Liz.

Our guest this week is the chief executive of New Zealand Apples and Pears, Alan Pollard. He's in Berlin, Germany at present attending a massive fresh produce trade show called Fruit Logistica. Over sixty thousand people attend the event. It's a very important show because it's the time when exporters set up their programmes into Europe for the coming season. Alan is there with New Zealand apple exporters

American Miniature Mediterranean donkeys were introduced to New Zealand 17 years ago. The little, very expensive donkeys can all be traced back to the island of Sardinia and range in size from 76cm to 90cm tall.

East Coast cropping farmers are flat out. Sweetcorn is coming to an end, the first shipment of squash has left for Japan and brassica crops are maturing quickly. A storm on the West Coast has damaged crops, brought down trees and left a farmer in Hokitika without power in his milking shed.

Heirloom tomatoes can be gnarly, luscious, beautiful and extremely difficult to grow. Angela and Anthony Tringham like to grow 'show off' tomatoes. They persevere with about 40 varieties in their greenhouses near Clevedon, south-east of Auckland.

Spring Collective is a co-operatively run organic market garden. A year ago Penny Sewell, Dominique Schacherer and Logan Kerr pooled their resources, secured an eight hectare block in Leeston and started growing vegetables. Now they employ three full-time staff and are looking for more fertile land to lease. Their business supplies fresh produce to the local community through farmers markets, veggie boxes, restaurants, and organic wholesalers.